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Farm Dog and Barn Kitten in Training - Strange Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

This is my rehomed Bernese I was asking advice on whether or not to take last year and my "Tabiano" kitten, asking same a few months ago. Both are doing great. Hannah loves her "private" turf (issues with other dogs were the cause of her rehoming to a no-other-dogs setting; she loves cats, horses, and all animals except other canines). She knows the boundaries, and gets more and more protective of me the longer we know each other. If somebody comes up, she sounds like the Hound of the Baskervilles. She loves to lie under the nearest tree and watch me do farm work. Cory, barn kitten in training, is growing and learning to hunt. She's very good on insects at this stage.

Hannah went off at about 2:30 a.m. last night. Her Hound of the Baskervilles act - BIG extended bark, almost a bit of a bay in it. That's exactly what she does when strangers come up and are doing things outside or when Daniel my brother who lives in Mom's old trailer on my property comes in. She does not like Daniel, and even after knowing him for months, she barks at him every time he comes in my house. When someone visited last week bringing Daniel an old car he'd fixed up, he was a welcomed guest the night he arrived when I was interacting with him, but when he just came out of Mom's trailer and started tire switching between the "new" car and Daniel's totaled car the next morning, Hannah took about 10 minutes to resign herself to the fact that he was doing something in her driveway.

But she is not in general a barker. Doesn't bark at animals. I have never once heard her bark unless it was directed at a person. I get one happy bark when we're doing things in general daily activities, but the constant barking/baying act is her "person around the property" alert. Very, very odd for her to bark at night.

I got up to go check it out, since she kept going on, and she was looking out the office windows. As the yard is not fenced, the only piece of the property that isn't, she is inside at night. I could not see a thing myself, not out of any window. Daniel was home, and all dark over at Mom's trailer. Nothing seemed weird at all to my senses, but I turned on the light in the bathroom and went through while I was up, just as a visible message that the people had been disturbed. Made a note where the gun was, but she settled down shortly after that.

If there HAD been somebody poking around last night looking for things out in the garage to steal, for instance, were I a prowler, I certainly would have been put off by the sound effects and then the light.

Good dog. Reason #1 why I specifically wanted a LARGE, black farm dog was for deterrent value and a security system when I live out in the boonies. Nothing like a good farm dog.

The cats, of course, were sound asleep piled around the bed. In fact, they moved over to claim more central spots while I was up. Gee, thanks, cats. Nice to know you're on the job.

When my dogs alert to something outside, I open the door and in a loud voice say "Kill the Bad Thing!" and all 6 run out. 2 shepherds, a dobe, a giant schnauzer, a standard poodle and a lazy English setter. I don't get many visitors or door-to-door salesmen.

Sheesh! I was thinking "Run!" before I ever got past the dobe! But I bet they're all actually sweet. Um, right?

Originally Posted by StGermain

When my dogs alert to something outside, I open the door and in a loud voice say "Kill the Bad Thing!" and all 6 run out. 2 shepherds, a dobe, a giant schnauzer, a standard poodle and a lazy English setter. I don't get many visitors or door-to-door salesmen.

StG

"Radar, the man's ex-cavalry: if he sees four flies having a meeting, he knows they're talking about a horse!" Cptn. BJ Hunnicutt, M*A*S*H Season 4, Episode "Dear Mildred"

Years ago our laid back Lab/Golden cross went nuts like that one night, and we didn't see anything outside so we thought it was a false alarm. A few days later our neighbor told us that he had been up late reading and felt a distinct sensation that he was being watched. The neighbor turned on his outside lights and saw a racoon looking back through the window at him. Apparently it was very used to people and we started hearing reports of this happening over and over, so the dog apparently saw the raccoon at the window, and that's what she was barking at.

Um, the giant schnauzer would make me flee, don't know why, he/she just would!
On our place, George the Basset would sound the alarm, Button the JRT would get up to warp speed, Cooper the Cattle Dogx would follow, then all the little yippy ones would bring up the rear.
Of course, the Bay Mafia would have first materialized out of the dark and scared the intruder into the next county. I can attest, as the PerchX has been RIGHT at our door on occasion when I open it. That is why we keep it locked-she knows to turn the knob to get in.

Soo dying to have a dog of any sort. Some day soon i will. But i must say my last dog was an irish wolfhound x german shepard. She was my shadow and felt very very safe with her around. Miss that girl.

Originally Posted by 3dogfarm

Of course, the Bay Mafia would have first materialized out of the dark and scared the intruder into the next county. I can attest, as the PerchX has been RIGHT at our door on occasion when I open it. That is why we keep it locked-she knows to turn the knob to get in.

I would get quite a fright if i went out the front door and smacked into a perch x standing there wanting to come in! lol

Yeah, Hannah FITS her. She came with that name and seemed to like it, and I just kept it. Her registered name is a whole lot longer, but Hannah is a great kennel name.

I just came back from mowing in the pasture and wound up sidetracked bush clipping along the fence line with the clippers. There was a bit of poison ivy there. I saw it and tried to avoid, but just as a precaution, I scrubbed off hands and arms thoroughly with alcohol, then soap, then alcohol again, then soap. Tried to get good and rid of any possible ivy juice. Hannah watched this whole process, several vigorous rounds, and when I finally turned away from the sink back to her, she started licking my wet arms.

Hey, if I'm obviously trying to have the most thorough washing possible, it wasn't complete without her contribution.

When my dogs alert to something outside, I open the door and in a loud voice say "Kill the Bad Thing!" and all 6 run out. 2 shepherds, a dobe, a giant schnauzer, a standard poodle and a lazy English setter. I don't get many visitors or door-to-door salesmen.

StG

ROTFLMAO that, I bet has the same effect as a shot gun with a round being chambered noisely.

If i'm posting on Coth, it's either raining so I can't ride or it's night time and I can't sleep.

When my dogs alert to something outside, I open the door and in a loud voice say "Kill the Bad Thing!" and all 6 run out. 2 shepherds, a dobe, a giant schnauzer, a standard poodle and a lazy English setter. I don't get many visitors or door-to-door salesmen.

StG

LOL - we have a dog door, so the dogs can come and go as they please until bedtime. Whenever the postman, UPS or Fedex guys pull into the driveway, it is mayhem as all 4 dogs race to the dog door, skating across the wood floors, crashing into the walls, the whole time barking and howling like you would not believe. The biggest and fiercest is the Rhodesian Ridgeback/Boxer cross, and then the two Aussies, followed by the elderly Brittany who is loosing her voice in her old age. We don't get many suprise visitors either. What is worse is that we have a driveway sensor with a voice alert, and the dogs have learned that when they hear "Alert Zone One" that it is time to run and bark.

One day I was on a conference call with work when the UPS man showed up, and the dogs went berzerk, and my boss asked if I was in any danger from the dogs.

There are friends and faces that may be forgotten, but there are horses that never will be. - Andy Adams